This week's motorsports events

Late model, modified, hobby, pure street, cruiser classes, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Malden (Mo.)Speedway.

Late model, pro street, pure street classes, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Fredericktown (Mo.) Raceway.

K-103 Kart Spring Showdown, 1 p.m. Saturday, SEMO Motor Speedway, Sikeston.

Sprint, hobby stock, modified, multi classes, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Saint Francois County Raceway, Farmington, Mo.

Practice, all classes, Auto Tire andParts Racepark, Benton, noon Sunday.

Samsung/RadioShack 500

Site: FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

N SCHEDULE: Friday, qualifying, (Fox Sports Net, 4 p.m.); Sunday, race (Fox, 1:30 p.m.).

Track: TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (OVAL, 1.5 MILES, 24 DEGREES BANKING IN TURNS).

N RACE DISTANCE: 500 miles, 334 laps.

Last race: KURT BUSCH TOOK THE LEAD AFTER TAPPING THE REAR END OF JIMMY SPENCER'S DODGE WITH 55 LAPS TO GO AND HELD ON TO WIN THE FOOD CITY 500 AT BRISTOL ON MARCH 24. IT WAS BUSCH'S FIRST VICTORY IN 48 CAREER WINSTON CUP STARTS.

N LAST YEAR: Dale Jarrett raced from sixth place to the lead in 13 laps, passing gambling Johnny Benson and pulling away to win the Harrah's 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jarrett had been racing at or near the front throughout the 334-lap event, but slipped from second to sixth in the final pit stops by the leaders when he took four tires while most put on two.

Fast facts: THIS IS THE SIXTH YEAR OF THE EVENT. ... DALE EARNHARDT EARNED HIS FIRST VICTORY AS A CAR OWNER WHEN DALE JR. WON IN 2000. EARNHARDT JR. ENTERS THE RACE WITH THREE STRAIGHT TOP-FOUR FINISHES. ... JEFF GORDON HAS NOT RECORDED A TOP-FIVE FINISH SINCE WINNING AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY ON SEPT. 30. THE DROUGHT SPANS 14 RACES. ... JEFF BURTON WON THE 1997 EVENT FOR HIS FIRST WINSTON CUP VICTORY AND ROUSH RACING TEAMMATE MARK MARTIN TOOK THE 1998 RACE. ... THE TRACK WAS REPAVED LAST FALL, POSSIBLY LEADING TO FASTER LAP TIMES. ... TERRY LABONTE OWNS TRACK RECORD FOR FASTEST WINNING SPEED WITH 144.26 MPH IN 1999. ... THE WINNER OF THE RACE WILL RECEIVE A HAND-CARVED OVERSIZED PAIR OF WOODEN BOOTS MOUNTED ON A WOOD BASE.

N NEXT RACE: Virginia 500, April 14, Martinsville, Va.

O'Reilly 300

Site: FORT WORTH, TEXAS

N SCHEDULE: Thursday, qualifying, 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, race (FOX, 2 p.m.).

Track: TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (OVAL, 1.5 MILES, 24 DEGREES BANKING IN TURNS).

N RACE DISTANCE: 300 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: JEFF GREEN SURVIVED A RECORD-TYING 14 CAUTIONS AND A FINAL SHOOTOUT AFTER A RED-FLAG TO WIN HIS 15TH CAREER BUSCH EVENT AT BRISTOL ON MARCH 23.

N LAST YEAR: Kevin Harvick won the Jani-King 300 in Fort Worth, Texas, finishing .246 seconds ahead of Jeff Burton.

Fast facts: KEVIN HARVICK GRABBED GREG BIFFLE FOLLOWING THE RACE AT BRISTOL AFTER A COLLISION WITH NINE LAPS REMAINING. JACK SPRAGUE AND JIMMY SPENCER ALSO HAD AN ANGRY CONFRONTATION AFTER THE RACE WITH SPRAGUE TAKING EXCEPTION TO SPENCER'S LATE RACE DRIVING. ... POINTS-LEADER BIFFLE HAS THREE TOP-FIVE FINISHES IN SIX RACES THIS SEASON. IN SIX CAREER RACES AT TEXAS WITH THE BUSCH AND CRAFTSMAN TRUCK CIRCUITS, HE HAS ONE WIN AND THREE TOP-FIVE FINISHES. . ... EIGHT DRIVERS WILL COMPETE IN BOTH THE BUSCH AND WINSTON CUP EVENTS AT TEXAS, INCLUDING BURTON, HARVICK, SPENCER, MICHAEL WALTRIP, SCHRADER, STACY COMPTON, JEFF GREEN AND RON HORNADAY. ... MARK GREEN, JEFF'S BROTHER, WAS HOSPITALIZED DURING THE BRISTOL RACE FOLLOWING A FINAL-LAP WRECK AND WAS NOT SCHEDULED TO RACE AT TEXAS. ... DALE EARNHARDT JR. WON THE 1998 EVENT FOR HIS FIRST BGN VICTORY. ... NO DRIVER HAS WON FROM THE POLE.

N NEXT RACE: Pepsi 300, April 13, Gladeville, Tenn.

SummitRacing.com Nationals

Site: LAS VEGAS

N SCHEDULE: Friday, qualifying, 5 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 8 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, (ESPN2, 10 p.m., tape).

Track: THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.

N LAST EVENT: Larry Dixon grabbed an NHRA national event victory for the second time this season by defeating Top Fuel rival Kenny Bernstein at Gainesville Raceway on March 17. Tony Pedregon, Darrell Alderman and Craig Treble won their respective categories.

Last year: KENNY BERNSTEIN RACED TO HIS 54TH NHRA VICTORY, BEATING ANDREW COWIN IN THE TOP FUEL FINAL AT LAS VEGAS. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. TOOK THE FUNNY CAR TITLE, AND JEG COUGHLIN WON THE PRO STOCK FINAL FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON.

N FAST FACTS: The inaugural event was held in 2000. ... Last year, Kenny and Brandon Bernstein became the first father-son combination to win at the same event. Kenny recorded his first Top Fuel victory in over a year while Brandon took the Top Alcohol Dragster category. ... Melanie Troxel is expected to return to Top Fuel racing at Las Vegas. Troxel has not raced since the end of the 2000 season, where she finished as the fastest female racer in NHRA history. ... The track features luxury suites above the grandstand covering the quarter-mile -- the first such facility in drag racing. ... The track will hold a second event this year in October.

Next race: O'REILLY NATIONALS, APRIL 14, BAYTOWN, TEXAS.

N LAST RACE: Ted Musgrave passed Robert Pressley with 12 laps to go, then held him off to win the Craftsman 200 at Darlington Raceway on March 15.

Next race: ADVANCE AUTO PARTS 250, APRIL 13, MARTINSVILLE, VA.

N LAST RACE: Cristiano Da Matta ran a nearly flawless race to successfully defend his Monterrey Grand Prix title on March 10. The Brazilian has three straight wins.

Next race: TOYOTA GRAND PRIX, APRIL 14, LONG BEACH, CALIF.

N LAST RACE: Michael Schumacher escaped a first-lap crash and went on to win the Brazilian Grand Prix, his second victory this season. Ralf Schumacher, who beat his brother at Kuala Lumpur the previous week, mounted a late challenge and finished .588 seconds behind.

Next race: SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX, APRIL 14, IMOLA, ITALY.

N LAST RACE: Points leader Sam Hornish Jr. edged Jaques Lazier by .0281 seconds -- the second-closest finish in IRL history -- to win the Yamaha Indy 400 on March 24.

Next race: NAZARETH INDY 225, APRIL 21, NAZARETH, PA.

-- FROM STAFF, WIRE REPORTS